Did anyone else love playing with invisible ink as a kid? I mean that stuff was awesome! You could write secret notes in class (which of course I would never do!), protect your deepest, darkest secrets in your diary, and write top secret mission orders for a surveillance mission that you and your buddies were going to go on at the weekend sleep over without anyone knowing it. This stuff was great!
What made invisible ink incredible was that on its own, invisible ink looked like nothing more than a blank sheet of paper. But as soon as the invisible ink was exposed to a black light, the piece of paper which once looked as white as the Colorado Rockies in the winter time suddenly was filled with words, symbols, and pictures. The words were always there, but you had to know what you were looking for before they could be revealed.
This is a pretty good illustration of our lives here on earth. You see, Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) tells us, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” In other words, there is more to this life than what can be seen-just like invisible ink.
This means that sometimes when you get distracted in church it’s not because you have A.D.D., but rather because you have an Enemy (Satan) who wants nothing more than to turn your attention away from our source of strength-the Almighty God. On the flip side, this also means that when you get a big breakthrough at work it’s not simply because you are a business wiz but because you have a loving Father who is blessing your work.
Though we may not be able to see the spiritual realm, you can be sure it is all around us-just ask Elisha in 2 Kings 6.
2 Kings 6 tells the story of the nation of Aram trying to attack Elisha’s home country of Israel. The king of Aram and his officers tried on multiple occasions to surprise attack Israel but through the divine assistance of God, 2 Kings 6:10 (NIV) tells us that, “…Time and again Elisha warned the king [of Israel about Aram’s battle plans], so that he was on his guard in such places.”
After several attempts to catch Israel off guard were spoiled, the king of Aram was informed by one of his servants that, “…Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!” (2 Kings 6:12, NLT). This enraged the king of Aram so he sent, “…horses, chariots, and a strong force [to Elisha’s city]…” (2 Kings 6:14, NIV) in order to capture Elisha and eventually destroy Israel.
The next morning, Elisha’s servant got up and saw all of these horses, chariots, and soldiers who were ready to attack his master. In a great state of panic and fear, the servant ran back to Elisha, reported the terrifying news, and then nervously asked him, “…Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15, NIV).
You can almost see Elisha sitting there with his robe and slippers on, reclining next to the fireplace, reading the morning news, and acting a cool as a cucumber when he heard the news from his servant. Elisha didn’t panic, he didn’t run for the mountains, or dial 911. Instead, Elisha calmly replied to his servant’s fearful tone by saying, “Don’t be afraid…Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Certainly this had to confuse Elisha’s servant because while he may not have been a math major, he was smart enough to know that Elisha plus him didn’t outnumber the imposing forces. But Elisha wasn’t talking about the physical number of troops, he was looking at the “invisible ink” when he made his nonchalant reply to the incredibly pressing news that they were about to be raided.
“And Elisha prayed, ‘Open [my servant’s] eyes, LORD, so that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17, NIV).
Elisha and his servant were delivered that day because the angelic hosts under the command of the Lord Almighty rescued them from the hand of their enemy. And notice that it doesn’t say that the servant saw the angelic hosts coming to surround Elijah but rather that they were already there…just as they are for us.
I firmly believe that if God were to do the same for us right now-turn the “black light” on in our life-we too would be able to see the “invisible ink,” or the spiritual realm, as hundreds or thousands of angles would be surrounding us as they eagerly await to help us accomplish God’s will.
The knowledge of angels surrounding us should not cause you to do something irrational like jumping off a building because you know that they are protecting you. It should also not cause you to be frightened by the creaking of your house at night because you know the Enemy is on the prowl. Rather, this knowledge of the “invisible ink” should motivate you to pray more fervently and more often as you know with certainty that God’s troops are literally at your side awaiting the next command from their General. It should also give you confidence knowing that we are not in this fight against Satan on our own, but rather, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people both now and forevermore” (Psalms 125:2, NIV) and, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them” (Psalms 34:7, NIV).
It is not likely that we will ever see the spiritual warfare that goes on in our lives this side of eternity, but just as was the case with invisible ink, just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.
“For [God] will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
-Psalms 91:11-12 (NIV)
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
©Grant Gaines 2013
